Electric stock-quotation board.



M. D. COMPTON. ELECTRIC STOCK QUOTATION BOARD. APPLICATION FILED un. 19, 1910.

1,017,740. f Patented Feb. 20, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

mmsssss; v avmvron fie/" 117. Com v19 H v Arm/awe M. D. COMPTON ELECTRIC STOCK QUOTATION BOARD. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19'; 1910.

1,017,740. Patented Feb. 20, 1912 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

AITNESSES:

I ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MELVIN D. COMPTON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC STOCK-QUOTATION BOARD.

Application filed March 19,

T 0 all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, MELVIN D. COMPTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Electric Stock- Quotation Board, of whichthe following is a specification.

Objects of the present invention are to provide a stock quotation display'board for the use of stock brokers and others, which will more perfectly and quickly indicate to the eye of the observer the condition of the market; or in other words, the price and fluctuation in price of stocks and bonds.

Another object of the invention is to avoid the noise and disturbance incident to' the reading of quotations by one operator to the boy or boys who arrange the numbers on the stock-board.

Another object of the invention is to reduce the number of boys and the amount of labor required for displaying stock quotations on a board.

Another object of the invention is the accuracy of the display of the quotations on the board.

The invention will be claimed at the end hereof, but will first be described in connection with the embodiment chosen from various embodiments for the purpose of description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1, is a diagrammatic view illustrating an electric stock-board and its connections embodying features of the invention. Fig. 2, is an enlarged view of a'detail of construction. Fig. 3, is a sectional view of Fig. 2, and Fi 4, is a sectional view illustrating other etails of construction.

In the drawings there is illustrated, at 1, so much of a -stock-board as is frequently used in connection with the quotations of one stock. It will, of course, be understood that the board may be as large as required so as to cover any number of stocks, but there is illustrated in the drawings and I will describe so much of the apparatus as has to do with one stock, and from this description it will be understood that by duplication of theapparatus shown, quotations may be given for any numbeigof stocks.

The board 1 is provided with rails 2, or other means for detachably holding and displaying cards 3, which show a quotation for stock. The board also has displayed upon Specification of Letters Patent.

V Patented Feb. 20, 1912. 1910. Serial No. 550,542.

it, as at 4, the name of the stock to which the quotation applies. The cards, at a and 5, indicate the high and low. prices of yesterday and the card at 0, indicates the opening price of to-day. The card d is subject to manual change from time to time as the price fluctuates. On the board there is a lamp 5 and also a lamp 6 which may be different colors and placed above and below the name of the stock. When the lamp 5 is lighted it means that the stock is rising and when the lamp 6 is lighted it means that the stock is falling. By making the lamps of different colors it is possible at a glance to tell the trend of the market. On the board there are also lamps marked 1/8, 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 5/8, 3/4 and 7/8, which are arranged in proximity with the card (5, and when lighted they respectively show in connection with the card d, the price of the last sale. On the board there are two other lamps 7 and 8 ar ranged in proximity with the card (i and they, as well as the buzzer 9 constitute sig nals to the operator at the board, whose duty it is to change the card d as may be required in order to show the price of the last sale, as will be hereinafter described.

There is a switch 10 which may be coupled as in Fig. 4, so as to show to which stock it appertains. The switches for the various stocks can be, as has been said, ar-

ranged on a board and the board can be under the control of an operator, who obtains his information from the tape-or from any other source eflinformation. Each switch 10,; comprises run-operating handle 11 and a following member 12. There are switch contacts 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 1s, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25, arranged so as to contact with 'the arms 11 and 12, as the latter are moved and in a manner and order that will be presently described. The cont-acts 13 and 25 serve to limit the range of travel of the arm 12. 26 and 27 indicate a source of current, or circuit from such source.

For the sake of description it may be assumed that 26-is negative. One side of all of the translating devices is connected to the negative conductor and the other sides of all the translating devices are connected to the various contact-s of the switch and thence bythe arms of the switch'to the other side of the circuit, as will be described. The negative side of the buzzer 9 is connected to the conductor 26 by the lead 28. The negative a conductor 26 by the conductor 29 and its various branches. The conductor 30 connects the contact 15 with the positive sideiof-the lamp 8. The conductor 31 connects the contact 16 with the.positive side, of the lamp 1/8. The conductor 32 connects the contact 17 with the positive side of the lamp 1/4. The conductor 33 connects the contact '18 with the positive side of the lamp 3/8. The conductor 34 connectsthe contact 19 with the positive side of the lamp 1/2. The conductor 35 connects the contact 20 with the positive side of the. lamp 5/8." The conductor 36 connects the contact 21 with the positive side of the lamp 3/4. The conductor 37 connects the contact 22 with the positive side of the lamp 7 /8. The conductor 38 connects the contact '23 with the positive side of ,the lamp 7. The conductor 39, by two branches, connects the contacts 14 and 24 with the positive side of the buzzer. The

arms 11 and 12 are connected with the conductor 27 by means of the conductor 40. At this point it may be said that the arms 11 and 12 are interconnected so that manual movement of the arm '11 causes movement of the arm 12. This is. accomplished as shown in 4 by pivotally mount" both arms on the same stud 41 and provi ing a spring 42 which holds them in frictional engagement.

43 are lamps mounted in suitablecom artments in the stock-board and they may ave in front of them transparent or opaque coverings as 44, upon .WlllCll the required numhers or colors can be applied.

45 are brackets 01'' clips applied to the switchboard 47 and they serve to hold the card e.

For the sake, of. e lanation it" may be said that the price the stock is rlsing above 119. The switch operator is therefore moving the switch "arm 11 in a clockwise direction. This movement hascbrought the arm 12 into contact witli the contact 13 and holdsit in that position, thus there is a cir- "cuit by 40 through'12, through 48 to the positive sie of the lamp,5 thence throu h' the conductor 29m the other side 26 oft e circuit. The lamp '5 therefore remains lighted and indicates that the price of the stock has been rising; As the operator at theswitchboard moves the arm 11 in the direction. indicated over'the contacts from 16 to 21, the circuits of the various lam s from 1/8 to 3/4 have been successive y. closed and-- the lamps therefore 1i hted showingithe rise of the stock by ei'g ths. Each of these circuits has been indicated but if I trace one of them, the others'will perha s be moreeasily understood. As shown in t e drawing the circuit is from 40 by 11 through 36 through lamp 3/4 b 29 to 26.

ummg now that t e price of the stock advanced -1/8 the operator will move the lucent p ates having fractional switch arm 11 onto the contact 22, thus lightin the lamp 7/8 by including it in circuit. e will assume now that the stock advances another eighth, that is to 120. The operator at the switchboard turns the switch arm 11 onto the contacts 23 and 24. -In this osition there is a circuit by 39 through the timer 9 by- 28, and also a circuit byc38 through lamp 7. The lighting oft-he lamp 7 and'the sound of the buzzer advises the operator at the board that he must change the card d from 119 to 120.

Assuming now that the price falls, the arm 11 is moved in a reverse direction and at the beginning of this movement thearm 12 is moved by frictional engagement with the arm 11 from the contact 13 to'the contact 25. In the latter position the circuit is closed by 40, 12,25, 49, lamp 6 and conductor 29. The lighting of thelamp 6 shows that the=price of the stock is falling, just as the lam 5 when lighted that the price of the stoc was rising. Continued movement of the arm 11 in this direction indicates by eighths, that is by lighting the lamps marked eighths, the fall of the stock. In the extreme position of the arm 11 it rests on the contacts 14 and '15 and establishes two circuits, one by 39 through the buzzer 9 to 28, and theother by 15, 30, lamp 8 and .29. Thus the buzzer sounds and the lamp lows, indicating. to the operator at the oard that he must replace the card of by one of lower denomination. In the instance described he must replace the card 120 by one showing 119.

From the foregoing descri tion it is evident that parts of the 'descri d apparatus maybe used without other parts and that the deposition of the, various lights and cards is subject to wide variation.

What I claim is: 1. An electrical stock-board comprising the combination of -a board having upon it the name of a stock, quotation cards indicating digits, means for detachably applying the notation cards to the board, trans quotations and having lamps for illuminating them and arranged to the right of one of the cards, lamps spaced above and below the name of the stock to indicate whether it is rising or falling, and a switch-and electrical connections or successively lighting and extinguishing the first mentioned lights to show fractional changes and for continuing the illumination of one or the other of the last mentioned lamps to show whether the 'fractional changes are upward or down-' ward.

2. An electrical stock-board comprising the combination of a board having upon it thename of a stock, quotation cards indi cating digits, means for detachably applying t e quotation cards to the board, trans- I lucent plates having fractional quotations and. having lamps for illuminating them and arranged to the right of one of the "cards, lamps spaced above and below the name of the. stock, to indicate whether it is rising or falling, a switch and electricalconnections for successively lighting and extinguishing the first mentioned lights to show fractional changes and for continuing the illumination of one or the other of the last mentioned lamps to show whether the fractional changes are upward or downward andsignaling means arranged on the boar and havin electrical connections to the switch for signaling to, the operator 5 

